Aging leads to decreased sensory acuity, short-term memory loss, loss of functional abilities including mobility, and physical strength. These losses have profound implications for the character and locations of preferred residential environments. We propose to measure attitudes, aspirations, plans, and accommodations that individuals have made to the limitations imposed by physical aging. We will attempt to measure gross disequilibria between the housing consumed by older people and the environment that would meet their needs. This will entail a profile of living arrangements over the life cycle and measures of adaptation to living in an environment that does not adequately accommodate functional limitations, viewed by the aged themselves and verified by reports of their children. Retirement, deteriorating health, extended episodes of illness, death of spouse, and changes in housing are so salient that we believe they can be elicited by recall. Some emotional problems, and memory loss problems may well be reported better by the children than by the aging themselves, hence the design calls for redundant measurement of the same phenomena for both parents and children. Comparison will be made between what people actually do with respect to their residential environment and what they would prefer if they were not limited by unavailability of alternatives, or inadequate finances. The changes will be studied retrospectively and prospectively. The study will probe the nexus between living patterns of the aged, their housing, and the relationship of housing to the neighborhood and local facilities. We want to measure select coping strategies of individuals with functional limitations, and their allocation of leisure time. We particularly want to understand the relationship between living arrangements and access to services and supporting social relationships. We will endeavor to relate our findings to the needs for community services and the need for specially designed architectural and community planning. The study will provide a national benchmark on living arrangements. The data on aspirations and perceived deficiencies in housing can be combined to give insights into the nature of future housing requirements and community services for the aged.